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Some Thoughts On Mailing Lists

by Matthew Samp
 

Your list will make or break your mailing...

I don't claim to be a list expert. But, I've been around long enough to know that choosing the right mailing list is absolutely essential for success. The "Good Old Days" when you could mail to every address in the phone book and still make a profit are long dead. Direct mail is expensive. It has to be targeted to the right "prospects" in order for it to pull a decent response. Here are some tips for selecting a good list...

You should try to...

Use a list broker. Good list brokers have access to all the necessary information for finding and renting the best mailing lists. Just tell him or her to whom you want your mail to go. Provide a "wish list" of selection criteria that includes demographics, SIC selections, desired income or sales, number of employees, age, sex, and on and on it goes. The broker's services are generally free to the list renter.

Choose your broker with care. Some brokers and list owners will do anything to sell you the lists that make them the most profit. They care little about your needs. Avoid these people at all costs. Always check references when selecting a broker.

Explore the possibilities. Some mailing lists include information that can be used to increase your response rates when incorporated into the message. For example, if you are mailing to small "mom and pop" retail businesses, and your list contains the type of product or service being sold, you can mention it in a computer filled letter. Say something like, "I know it's tough selling vacuum cleaners in Skokie in this day and age" to a vacuum cleaner store owner and you'll make a friend for life. You get the picture.

Always mail to a person. There are a lot of mailing lists out there that have no individual name on the files. So, mail gets addressed to "proprietor" or to "homeowner." Avoid these lists at all costs. Sure, they're cheap. But, they don't pull much response, either.

Test, test, test. You can test mailing lists just as easily as you can test creative efforts. And you should. A ten percent increase in response due to choosing a better list is like finding silver dollars in the sofa.

Avoid CD ROM lists. Forget about them. They are "static" in nature and, in my experience, they almost never work. Sure, they're dirt cheap, but you get what you pay for when it comes to lists.

Rent updated lists. Always seek out lists that are updated regularly. When you consider that about 20% of the population in America packs up and moves every year, it just makes sense to use mailing lists that are updated at least twice a year. Quarterly or monthly is even better. 
 

© 2005 Creos Direct Mail, Matthew Samp
http://www.TheSamp.com